Earthy and wet like bee syrup. What I love most about Bourbon County is they don't just brew the best stout they can and then use barrels in an effort to improve it's flavor (and inevitably it's BA score, lulz guys). They consider the barrel aging to be an essential source of flavor and not just an add-on. That is why BCBS is an icon and always will be. (355 characters)

Always try to find this because I keep on drinking what I have. Summer, winter...doesn't matter.

2014 Vintage - Drank 7/2015A- Black as Dracula’s cape, with a light auburn color. Lacing sticks like a Stage Five Clinger and slowly drifts into the glass like an old man into a lukewarm bath. A wonderful sight, the beer lacing that is.S- If you didn’t know any better, you’d say this was bourbon mixed with vanilla. It smells of roasted malt, booze, chocolate and pure anticipation.T- Damn good – love it. Keep it comin’ keep it comin’. Vanilla, chocolate; the bourbon is present unlike many of the style.F- Just thick enough, coats the mouth and remains there. No reason to take a sip for another minute or two, so savor! The heat slithers down ever so warmly, beautiful.O- Yup! I’ll continue to seek this out, every year, all year, until either I run out of trade bait or my wife hides all our money. (920 characters)

Thank you to my bartender at gainesville house of beer for sharing this beer. Tons of raisins, chocolate, and vanilla on the nose and in the taste. More malty than expected. It tasty like a bread pudding with a decadent Bourbon caramel sauce. Just overall a great beer. (269 characters)

Pours black as night with thin brown head that dissipates to a ring around the glass. Smells of chocolate, pecans, vanilla, dates and booze. Sweet taste of dates and raisins. Vanilla on the finish with a large amount of lingering booziness. Great mouthfeel, thick and chewy. Certainly an excellent beer, but a bit too sweet for my tastes. (357 characters)

This beer is appropriately named. Bourbon is very prominent in the nose and the taste. The bourbon part is very well done compared to others in the style. Lots of vanilla, Carmel, and malt come through with chocolate and dark fruit from the base beer. The fruitiness takes over a little too much and I wish there was a little more on offer from the base stout, but the bourbon treatment really makes this a nice treat. I'll probably grab another 4 pack of this in the Fall, but I won't be stocking up like I did last year. (522 characters)

The name says it all, Bourbon. Not overpowering, but a very strong taste of bourbon. Harshness starts with sweetness to follow. If you don't like the taste of bourbon, you should go with another one of their stouts (coffee, barley wine) Drinkability is one bottle or maybe two shared. Sip slow and in my opinion tastes better in the winter (340 characters)

On tap at Ale Arsenal. Lucky to find it! Huge bourbon on the nose. A bit of spice at the back of the throat (from bourbon I'm guessing), rich an creamy mouthfeel. Flavors of raisins, fig, sweet bourbon, malt. Overall: great BA stout! Not my overall favorite but great. (275 characters)

This one left me a little disappointed. Not a bad brew but not worthy of all the hype around it. Color was good but taste left me wanting more. Pretty bland, which is rare for a BBA Stout. (191 characters)

Flavor: Chocolatey, molasses, and lots of figs. Alcohol is not really noticed when the beer is cold, however it is intensely noticed when the beer warms. Some red wine like characteristics. Just a beautiful, lovely, barrel aged stout. Get it when you can. (324 characters)

What really needs to be said about this beer that hasn't been said already? The only negative I will say is that I found my first two sips off putting in that I found th bourbon slightly overpowering. But then my pallete adapted, I settled in and quickly realized this is one of those rare things in life that lives up to the hype. I definitely consider it a "winter time" beer though. (385 characters)

Pitch black and viscous as can be. Thin dark khaki head fades but leaves a ring that sticks around. Alcohol legs on the glass but not much stick. Big aromas of bourbon soaked dark cherry, coconut, caramel, toffee, coconut, wood, chocolate, vanilla and char. It all translates in the flavor and its immensely complex. Mouthfeel is full, sticky, coating yet not as thick as you'd expect. This is a great beer with huge complexity, but there is a local offering that does it a bit better. (490 characters)

Too boozy for me. I enjoy many other barrel aged stouts, this one is too boozy. It also has a black licorice smell to it that doesn't appeal to me. I can appreciate others enjoy this beer, it's just too much for me. Maybe age will help it out for me. I have three others in my cellar, so I will test out that theory. (321 characters)

We did a comparison tasting with a 2009 vs 2013. The difference between the two was amazing. The extra four years blended the flavors and took the edge off just enough to make a perfect beer even more perfecter. If you get a chance, tuck a bottle of this away for a few years and compare. You'll be glad you did. (316 characters)

Last tasted a 2013 in a bourbon taster glass. They hype is real on this beer and has been for a very long time. One of the best if not the best BA stouts out there. This beer embodies perfection in every aspect that a review really can't do this beer justice. Its look, smell, taste, and finish is out of this world. That is why BCBS is on the top of many top beer lists. You simply have to try it if you haven't already and do yourself a favor... get your hands on all the previous years too. (493 characters)

L: I love pouring huge bourbon barrel stouts. No head, no carbonation, just pitch black and looks like oilS: They don't call it bourbon county for nothing. Huge bourbon and chocolate.T: Big sweet bourbon without the heat, chocolate and a hint of the barrel notes. F: This completely coats my mouth, and the flavor last far beyond the drink. It's very thick and smooth.O: Clean sweep of 5's, it's special occasion beer. An absolute treat! (447 characters)

When consumed right away there is a strong bourbon presence to the beer. The aroma is boozey chocolate and oak from the barrels. The body is thick but velvet smooth on the tongue and in the mouth. The flavor is richness; chocolate caramel and vanilla followed by a wonderful bourbon heat that just warms the throat and stomach. This is a fireside beer winter warmer and it is delicious. (386 characters)

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout has a thin, tan head, a very dark brown, almost black, appearance, and essentially no lacing left on the glass. The aroma is as expected- a strong, overriding, vanilla/oak/Bourbon whiskey smell, with background malt. Taste is of the same, with lots of sugar, some char, dark, slightly-turned dark fruits, like prunes, and balancing bitterness. Mouthfeel is heavy and velvety, and Goose Island Bourbon County Stout finishes rich and boozy.

I love the bourbon county brand series. The start of it right here. I tried the 2015 version. Amazing oak aromas. Great carbonation from the bottle creating an off white head. Better than the coffee version to me. Not as difficult to find as well. Great bourbon notes from the aging. Definitely worth a try. In my top 20 for sure. (330 characters)

Poured hard into a snifter, leaving about three fingers worth of head. Appearance is black as night without any light coming through the edges. Smell and taste are heat/booze, bourbon, vanilla, dark chocolate, and some coffee notes in there as well. Very thick and lush mouth feel. A tried-and-true example of this style. (321 characters)